Dimensions of Memory in Elderly Compared with Non-Elderly

Growing old causes significant effects on cognitive and metacognitive processes and increases the likelihood of cognitive failure. The present study aimed to investigate various dimensions of memory in the elderly and compare it with non-elderly. It was designed as a causal-comparative study. 180 samples were chosen among Kermanshah citizens through the availability sampling method and were divided into three groups of elderly, middle-aged and young, each group consisting of 60 people. Wechsler Memory Scale was used to evaluate the dimensions of memory (personal information, navigation, subjective control, logical memory, counting memory, visual memory, associative memory). Results from variance analysis and  Scheffe's test showed a significant difference in all sub-scales of the Wechsler memory test for the elderly with young and middle-aged groups (P <0.001). Also, there was a significant difference in the subscales of logical memory, visual memory, associative memory, and total memory score between the young and middle-aged groups (P <0.001); though, no significant difference was observed in personal information, navigation, subjective control and counting memory subscales between young and middle-aged groups. The results suggested that growing old associated with a decrease in memory performance in different dimensions, and the elderly showed poorer performance in different dimensions of memory compared to young and middle-aged. This indicated a decrease in some dimensions of memory in middle age and a decrease in all dimensions in old age. Research findings could be used to provide strategies to prevent memory impairment and enhance memory in aging.